Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle (4 November 1922 – 26 December 1942)[1] was a royalist member of the French Resistance during World War II.

Bonnier de La Chapelle was born in Algiers, son of a French journalist who was a monarchist and a protester against fascism.

Bonnier was involved with a royalist group that wanted to make the pretender to the French throne, the Count of Paris, the King of France.

He studied at the Lycée Stanislas in Paris after France's surrender to Nazi Germany, and attended a demonstration of anti-German students on Armistice Day 11 November 1940 at the Arc de Triomphe.

[citation needed] Following the landing, Bonnier was one of the first to commit to the Corps Francs d'Afrique training under the initial direction of Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie, former leader of the north African resistance.

When d'Astier was appointed head of the police as Deputy Secretary of the Interior, the Corps Francs d'Afrique maintained unofficial relations with the force.

[2] At that time, members of the Corps Francs repeatedly covered the walls with slogans that mocked Darlan, such as "Admiral to the fleet!"

Darlan was not only attacked for his past collaboration with Germany, but also for his present attitude, upholding the exclusion laws inspired by Germany, as well as other repressive Vichy policies, such as the internment in concentration camps of thousands of French resistance fighters, Spanish Republicans and Central European Democrats.

Bonnier and three of his comrades, Otto Gross, Robert and Philippe Tournier Ragueneau decided to assassinate Darlan.

Charles Noguès, dean of the Imperial Council, proclaimed himself acting High Commissioner, under an unpublished order issued by Darlan on 2 December 1942.

Bonnier was rehabilitated by a Chamber judgment revision of the Court of Appeals on Algiers on 21 December 1945, which ruled that the assassination had been "in the interest of liberation of France."

Historians have speculated that Bonnier acted on the encouragement of Charles de Gaulle's entourage or under instruction from the British Special Operations Executive,[4][5] while judicial records show he was involved with a royalist group aiming to replace Darlan with Henri of Orléans.